Event Schedule

Below is the MOST CURRENT 2024 WinterBlast event schedule. All classes, sessions, seminars, etc. are subject to change without notice. Please check for the most up-to-date information about the event. Click the event title to read more about the event and its presenters. 

PLEASE NOTE, ALL EVENTS ARE IN MOUNTAIN TIME (MT)

 

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Winter Blast - Public - Session Search

5″ Ball Shell Workshop – Part I, Introduction to Ball Shells

Seminar | Tent 1

Thursday, 02/15
10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Jim Widmann | Mike Garrett

Lecture session – Have you ever wanted to build a round ball shells? Then this workshop is a good place to start.  This workshop will teach you how . . . to make your own 5” paper ball shell. Working with experienced shell builders, you will get hands-on knowledge that will guide you in building a ball shell that looks and performs just like the pros.  There are three workshop parts: The first part, ‘Introduction to Ball Shells’, has a tutorial, demonstration and Q&A. That is followed by Part II for the assembly and wrapping of your shell. A fleet of WASP machines will be used to expedite this procedure. The shell is then dried overnight.  On the following day, in the third session, you will apply the lift and leader to the shell.  Your shell can be fired that night on the B-line in a special area just for us. ‘Introduction to Ball Shells’ is available free to everyone but is a required prerequisite for the Ball Shell workshops.

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PGI Shooter’s Certification Course – Lecture

Seminar | Tent 1

Thursday, 02/15
12:00 PM to 5:30 PM
Josh Lazarus | John Steinberg | Paul Smith

This course is an accepted safety course for licensing in many states. It is a must do course for anyone who wants to increase their knowledge of . . . current NFPA regulations, requirements, and safety protocols for commercial fireworks displays. The course includes a classroom lecture, hands on field work, and a written test. Those who desire to apply for PGI certification must attend all parts of the course and pass the test. Everyone can learn something new from this class. The class will be held over 2 days. The lecture portion will be held on Thursday February 15th from noon to 5pm. The hands on field work and test will be held on Friday February 16th from 9am to 1pm. Bring a pen and/or highlighter to the class for taking notes. For the field portion you will need the following personal protective equipment: safety glasses, hard hat, closed toe shoes, long sleeve shirt and pants made of 100% cotton or other flame retardant material (turnout gear is acceptable.) Also bring something to drink and snacks if you desire. Winter Blast registrants will receive their WPA “B” firing line wristband and stickers at the conclusion of the Friday session. Please be on time, as due to a tight time schedule, no information can be repeated for late attendees.

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CASFM Licensing Procedures and Current Topics

Seminar | Tent 1

Friday, 02/16
9:30 AM to 11:00 AM
Caleb Phillips | Vijay Mepani | Margo Lund

This course will be taught by representatives from the California Office of the State Fire Marshal. Topics include Regulations Update, an overview of . . . the licensing system and a Q&A. This class is great opportunity for those interested in updates to Title 19 and those who are considering becoming licensed or upgrading their license.

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Pyrotography – How to Set Up and Take Killer Fireworks Photos

Seminar | Tent 1

Friday, 02/16
11:15 AM to 12:15 PM
Tom Calderwood | Tom Handel

Photographing fireworks with a digital camera is a challenge. Tom is an accomplished fireworks photographer who will give many tips during this . . . seminar for getting that *perfect* fireworks picture. The class discussion will include camera and related equipment use, camera settings, computer processing, and setup locations. Tom has a no-secret policy and is more than willing to share if you want to catch him later. He has a passion for the beauty that fire has, and is ever in pursuit of getting better in his craft. Tom Handel will be on hand during this seminar to moderate.

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Getting the most out of Electrical Firing and Wiring: the basics

Seminar | Tent 1

Friday, 02/16
1:15 PM to 2:15 PM
Don Kark

A lot of people use their electrical firing systems today with a bit of luck. They run their wires, attach their e-matches, and hope for the best. . . . This session will shed some light on how electrical firing works, and how to get the most out of electrical firing, especially when using one cue to fire multiple devices. You will learn how some common types of initiators work, how to wire them in both serial and parallel arrangements (and which style is best in certain situations). We will discuss the simple “ohms law” and it’s use in electrical firing. We will also show some rules of thumb to simplify the calculations when using long runs of wire of various lengths and diameter. Finally, we will also touch on cold-weather firing of devices, and why certain types of initiators are better than others. With a pencil and a calculator, you can take the guesswork out of your site planning.

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One Island – 72 Fireworks Factories

Seminar | Tent 1

Friday, 02/16
2:30 PM to 3:45 PM
Mark Devon | Mitch Piatt | Kevin Mather

This presentation will begin with international man of mystery and wanna be Maltese shell builder Mark Devon doing a slide show travelog style about . . . his first time visit to the island last April for the 2023 international fireworks symposium and visit to the factory in Gudja arranged by his low life Austria fireworks BFFs he met at the host hotel bar. Followed by Mitch Piatt who has been to the island 10 times, knows several of the big cheeses in the Maltese fireworks lasagna. Between him and our outgoing club president probably is the repository for 99% of what is known about Maltese fireworks in the United States.

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Chlorate and Colored Flames in 19th Century Pyrotechny

Seminar | Tent 1

Friday, 02/16
4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Barry Sturman

The addition of potassium chlorate to the pyrotecnist’s stock of ingredients in the early 19th century led to the development of a full range of . . . bright, distinctive colours. The story of that development will be outlined, along with a discussion of some of the early compositions in the light of modern science

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Getting an ATF Explosive License/Permit

Seminar | Tent 1

Saturday, 02/17
10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Joey Rothman | Paul Smith | John Steinberg

What is the ATF and why should you care? This seminar will go over the ins and out of getting an ATF explosive license/permit for commercial and . . . amateur fireworks. Questions to be answered are: When are you required to have a license? What am I allowed to do with a license? How do you get one? What are the penalties for not having a license? Is it worth the trouble to get a license?

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The Many Interests of Ken Kosanke

Seminar | Tent 1

Saturday, 02/17
11:15 AM to 12:15 PM
Bonnie Kosanke

This collection of videos was prepared by Ken Kosanke and presented at WWB XIX and revised for WWB XXIV. Ken showed many interesting pyrotechnic . . . phenomena, many in slow or stop motion, so that the details may be more easily observed. These include items that interested Ken: research projects, safety testing, accident videos and more. Included are some cautionary tales on what went wrong. And, of course, lots of stuff “blowing up”.

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62″ Mortar Design, Mathematical Model and Results

Seminar | Tent 1

Saturday, 02/17
12:30 PM to 1:15 PM
Eric Krug | Jim Widmann

A team was formed in North America to attempt the launch of a 1,575 mm aerial shell with the goal to obtain a new world record. The design of large . . . shell casings, internal pyrotechnic components, and the engineering design of the required mortar has previously been published. The first attempt on February 9th, 2019, resulted in a malfunction of the shell in the mortar producing a large flowerpot failure. The resulting integrity of the mortar and the failure mechanism of the shell were of great concern. Undeterred, the team immediately began work on a second attempt that resulted in a successful launch on February 8th, 2020. This paper will review the analysis of the mortar after the failure, the process of rebuilding the mortar, additional engineering analysis, and changes to the shell design. A successful internal pressure profile was obtained and will be compared to the previously published internal and external ballistic mathematical model.

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Modern Spectacle: Design, Technology, Considerations and Management

Seminar | Tent 1

Saturday, 02/17
1:30 PM to 3:00 PM
Eric Tucker | Martin Hildeberg | Patrice Guy | Peter Rogoz

A roundtable discussion of show design concepts with some of the most accomplished pyrotechnicians in the world. Discussions include creative . . . inspiration, workflows, technical developments, and the future of fireworks. What mediums outside of pyro, if any, do you seek inspiration from? Are there particular artforms that influence your work? What are the differences in your approach between designing a stand alone fireworks display vs being part of a multimedia production? Is designing as support for a live entertainer different than designing as part of a multi media show without a live entertainer? How does story influence your design work? Does story outweigh technical knowledge/effects when designing? Walk us through how live entertainment workflows have changed with the integration of several multimedia technologies driving a display at once. How does software like Finale3D and tools like timecode help you integrate a show? Given where the pyro performance industry is now ie: Music/video based, Drone integration, multi media effects like Laser, Water, Projections, Fire etc – where do we think we will be and/or want to be in 5 years? What excites you about fireworks/pyrotechnics? Is there any effect, show, venue, or project in particular that gets your juices flowing? Is there a difference in your approach when designing for a competition rather than a client? If you could give one piece of advice to current and future pyros, what would it be?

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Secondary Colors in Pyro: Orange, Yellow, Cyan and Purple

Seminar | Tent 1

Saturday, 02/17
4:00 PM to 5:00 PM
Steve Majdali | Joel Baechle

The palette of colors available in pyrotechny is pretty much determined by certain emitting species limited to strontium, barium, copper, sodium and . . . sometimes calcium. This gives us the familiar red, green and blue primary colors with a few variations. All of the secondary colors must be made by carefully mixing the primaries, and that isn’t always an easy task. This seminar will investigate how we approach producing the secondary colors, how effective they really are, and the difficulties in coming up with some of the trickiest hues such as purple and turquoise. Hues, Pastels, Tints, Tones and Shades are all terms used in color mixing. Even a simple artist’s color paint set can have 24 colors or more. How can this concept be applied to pyrotechnics, and does it even matter? Methods and perception will be presented and discussed.

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Tingles & Goosebumps: Resonance in Response to Pyrotechnic Arts

Seminar | Tent 1

Sunday, 02/18
12:30 PM to 1:30 PM
Collin van Uchelen

Pyrotechnic arts can have an impact that we feel both in our bodies and in our emotions. At times, we are thrilled by awesome brilliance and shocking . . . intensity in a display. At other times, we feel tingles and goosebumps in moments that touch us deeply. “Resonance” is the word I use to describe this experience. In this interactive seminar, we will explore what ingredients help create this tingling energy in response to fireworks and pyro-musical displays.

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Where Do Stars Come From?

Seminar | Tent 1

Sunday, 02/18
1:45 PM to 3:00 PM
Joel Baechle

Over, under, sideways, down, backwards, forwards, square and round – how do we make stars? What is a star, what are the various kinds and how are . . . they made? Going beyond the usual formulas and techniques, this seminar will start with conventional methods of star-making, and present some of the nuances of production, including solvents, binder solutions, and best uses the many varieties. Time permitting, some of the more specialized or unusual methods may be presented. It’s a much bigger subject than is covered in the literature that most are familiar with. A thorough overview of the different kinds of stars used in fireworks, merits and uses.

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Finales Roundtable

Seminar | Tent 1

Sunday, 02/18
3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Sam Bruggema | Don Kark | Scott Danielson | Aaron Enzer

An open discussion about the many ways to approach, assemble and fire a finale. Discussion will address budgets, electrical versus hand fire, types of . . . product and styles. A number of prominent display operators and choreographers will join Sam Bruggema in this vigorous discussion.

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